Device for throwing and catching balls



D. VON ARNHEM 2,961,239

DEVICE FOR maowmc AND CATCHING BALLS Filed Nov. 16, 1955 Jnvenfor:

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Attorney United States Patent DEVICE FOR THROWING AND CATCHING BALLS Douglas von Arnhem, Nollendorferstrasse 10, W. Berlin 30, Germany Filed Nov. 16, 1955, Ser. No. 547,230

Claims priority, application Great Britain Dec. 3, 1954 2 Claims. (Cl. 27396) This invention relates to devices for throwing and catching bails.

With the known ball-strikers, such as tennis rackets, table tennis bats and simple ball-strikers with a round staff or a suitably shaped board mounted on a handle, only relatively small balls can be hit. In the case of large balls, for instance of the known brightly-colored childrens play balls, the sure hitting and catching of the balls is made very diflicult, often indeed impossible, on account of their size and smoothness.

The ball thrower and catcher according to the invention is characterized by a handle and a ring connected with the handle, on the inner edge of which ring at least three support points are provided, which are distributed over more than half the periphery and lie on a circle, the diameter of which is smaller than that of the ball used. Due to this supporting the ball rests firmly in the ring, so that in contrast to the usual strikers a very precisely aimed throwing of the ball is achieved, since the ball is easily released from the support points. Furthermore a reliable catching of the ball is also rendered possible. The number of the support points can be increased at will; thus for example it is also possible for the entire inner edge of the ring to serve as support for the ball. Now with the apparatus according to the invention even children can handle large and even the largest balls without toil. The ball rests securely in the ring, and can now be directed, possibly by previous aiming and weighing with the hand and arm, to its target, for example the ring of a partner in the game, without any great expenditure of force. However, even relatively small balls can be thrown with the ballthrower much more accurately to the partner in the game, and caught by him. This has not been achievable with any of the ball games which have become known before.

In order to prevent clamping fast of the ball caught in a ring, especially from a great height, the inner edge of the ring is rounded or bevelled 011 at least on one side.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated by Way of example in the single view of the drawing which is a front elevational view of a ballthrower and catcher in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

The structural form of the ball-thrower embodiment illustrated in the drawing has a handle 1, which merges into a narrow striker plate 2. At the outer end there is provided an annular part or ring 3, the inner edge of which mounts three support points 4. The inner annular faces of these support points 4 lie on the periphery of a circle, the diameter of which is smaller than the diameter of the ball.

Apart from metal, plywood and synthetic plastics are especially suitable as materials for the production.

Since certain changes may be made in the above device and difierent embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to be secured by Letters Patent, is as fol lows:

l. A device for use in throwing and catching a ball, comprising in combination a striking plate, a ring for the throwing and catching of the ball connected to said striking plate and defining an inner edge having at least three projections distributed along said inner edge and offset angularly substantially uniformly from each other, the rims of said projections being bevelled and rounded off and coinciding with the periphery of a circle.

2. A device for use in throwing and catching a ball, comprising in combination an apertured striking plate having an inner edge surrounding said aperture defining three inwardly extending projections each terminating in an arcuate rim, the arcs of said rims coinciding with the periphery of a circle, the remainder of said inner edge being offset outwardly relative to said rims, said rims being bevelled and rounded ofi and operable to engage, for catching and throwing, said ball.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 91,422 Fisher Jan. 30, 1934 820,017 Russell May 8, 1906 857,198 Perez June 18, 1907 1,156,047 Behrend Oct. 12, 1915 1,375,906 Haas Apr. 26, 1921 1,582,104 Voelker Apr. 27, 1926 2,131,550 Collins Sept. 27, 1938 2,480,264 Regenold Aug. 30, 1949 2,616,698 Singer Nov. 4, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 636,248 Germany Oct. 7, 1936 836,119 France Oct. 10, 1938 

